RIVERSIDE COUNTY: Marijuana activists align with Democrats

Advocates for medical marijuana and marijuana legalization have formed a club affiliated with Riverside Countyâs Democratic Party, according to a news release.

The Brownie Mary Democratic Club of Riverside County was formed at the June monthly meeting of the county Democratic Central Committee, read the release issued by club founder Lanny Swerdlow.

The club seeks âto promote the Democratic Party, help Democrats get elected and to work within the Democratic Party to protect the rights of medical marijuana patients and bring marijuana prohibition to an end,â the release read.

Swerdlow, one of the Inland regionâs most vocal medical marijuana activists, said in the release that a state Assembly bill (AB 2312) benefiting medical marijuana patients passed in May 41 to 28, with every vote in favor cast by a Democrat.

Seventy-two percent of Democrats compared to 11 percent of Republicans in the House of Representatives voted for a bill (HR 5326) in May to prevent the U.S. Department of Justice from raiding medical marijuana providers in California, Swerdlow said.

âDemocrats are supporting medical marijuana patients,â he said. âItâs time we started supporting Democrats.â

The club has 32 members, eight of whom registered with the Democrats to join, the release read.

The club is named for the late Mary Jane Rathbun, who was known as âBrownie Maryâ for baking marijuana brownies and giving them to AIDS patients in San Francisco hospitals.

Sue Ann Young, chairwoman for a local Democratic Party district, could not be reached for comment Friday.

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